


here at the end of all things

by disarmed



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Mentions of Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2012-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-20 09:19:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/583742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disarmed/pseuds/disarmed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This is how it works, is it not? How it was always meant to be? That when it came time to face my fate you would be there." Loki's eyes are bright and burning and Thor feels his throat constrict and his heart pound.</p>
            </blockquote>





	here at the end of all things

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be a 500 word drabble of thor/loki angst. it kind of turned into this thing that borders on humour and plays on the edge of sadness. i just wanted some thor/loki feels and a bit of angst, okay? writing from thor's pov has never been my forte, so forgive any faults.

Thor curls his fingers around the chains binding Loki's wrists and tugs twice. His brother _(not-brother, ally, enemy)_ takes a jerking step forward, a grumbled sound coming from his throat. Thor glances at Loki from the corner of his eye and is met with a narrowed, green gaze. 

"If you did not sulk so I would not have to resort to such measures," Thor tells him gruffly. It's not entirely true; this is perhaps the third time on their walk from the skirting of Asgard that Thor has yanked on Loki's manacles. It is not as if his brother is undeserving of such treatment _(it is minor roughness in comparison to Loki's previous actions, really)_ but Thor stills feels slightly guilty when Loki puts as much distance between them as possible.

"You need not make this harder than it already is," snaps Thor when Loki's steps begin to slow and falter as they approach the entrance to the palace. "Nor do you need to look so hard done by." 

Loki gives him another foul glare and turns his head off to the side, resolutely not looking at Thor. Mouth a flat line, Thor claps Loki's armored shoulder tightly and pulls him around. 

The setting sun gleams off Loki's armor and Thor ignores the glint of light in his eyes.

"You will look at me when I am speaking to you! It is the _least_ you can do," he growls, his other hand coming to clasp Loki's neck, despite the other's best intentions to pull away. "Are you that proud, brother, that you would not let me help you even when you need it most?" 

Loki's eyes are slits, and Thor knows that if he weren't gagged Loki would be spitting curses and foul insults at him. But he is gagged; efficiently, too. Anthony Stark outdid himself with the creation of this particular invention. Thor knows not the complexities of the gag, but he does know the basic effects. A metal plate that presses Loki's tongue to the bottom of his mouth, the clamps that form around the edges of his lips... Held tight by a clasp at the back of his head, the gag does its job all too well. Thor's eyes linger on the gag a moment too long; Loki's brow arches and his stare becomes questioning. Thor looks away stiffly. 

There's a gurgled sound from Loki's direction and Thor turns to face him hotly, fury coursing through his body when he realizes Loki is laughing at him. 

"Be silent!" hisses Thor angrily, advancing angrily on the other man. "Your mockery will not be of help to you -" Thor stops when Loki flicks one cuffed hand at him in dismissal and faces the other direction, still laughing grossly from behind the gag. Thor gives him a harsh, quick shove and Loki stumbles forward. The laughter ceases and Thor feels marginally better until Loki turns around to face him. 

Eyes burning bright and hot with defiance, hair falling over his face, Loki looks... Thor does not want to think about how Loki looks right now. Straightening himself up, Loki flicks his head back to rid the hair from his eyes, and then gives Thor a pointed, expectant look. Thor crosses his arms over his chest and waits. Loki rolls his eyes and then drops his gaze to Thor's crotch, head tilting to the side in an almost curious manner. 

"You think your foul play will stall your punishment?" asks Thor with a shake of his head, "it will not." He grasps Loki's arm and pulls him along, restarting their walk towards the Allfather and the Council sat waiting for Loki's return. 

Loki puts up a fight this time, digging his heels in tot he ground and making Thor's job ten times more difficult. 

"By the nine realms..." mutters Thor, yanking on his squirming brother and pushing his hair out of his face. "Can you not make anything easy for me?" he spits out over his shoulder at Loki's struggling form. His only answer is for Loki to start struggling more furiously. 

Thor sighs tiredly. " _'Go and fetch your brother, Thor.' 'Bring him home, Thor.'_ " Loki yanks so hard on his chains that Thor has to stop and stare heavenward to calm himself. "Why did it have to be _me?_ " 

There's a low grumbling from behind him and Thor turns to face Loki, who looks like he wants to put something sharp and pointy straight through Thor's throat. Regarding his dark haired not-sibling for a moment, Thor narrows his eyes. It is a stupid idea, though Thor has done many stupid things in his past that what would one more be? Loki's power may lie in his words, but Thor is grown enough to know when not to trust him; he has learned from that mistake too many times. They are a mere few minutes from Loki's to-be-punishment; what harm would it do to let him speak now? Thor knows there are few outcomes to Loki's predicament. He does not wish to think about the one that is most likely; villain or not, Loki is his brother if not by blood than by bond. 

Thor _knows_ he'll regret it. 

"No tricks," he warns his brother, one hand curled tightly around Loki's chains as he steps forward. "For once, no tricks." Loki tenses as Thor moves in closer, and then he goes as still as marble when Thor unlatches the clasp at the back of the gag. Thor runs his fingers along the smooth metal before pulling it gently from Loki's face. 

Lips cracked and pale, Loki's tongue darts out tentatively to wet them, eyes searching Thor's face quietly. 

"You would put up such a fight to greet me with silence?" Thor asks flatly, "I think not." 

"You would cave so easily?" retorts Loki, voice working to sound like less of a rasp, "I think yes." 

"There is no escape Loki, not this time." Thor has the gag in his hand still and it feels heavy in his hand. His eyes linger on the indentations around Loki's mouth. 

"Does it please you to see me hurt?" asks Loki with a cool quirk to his lips. 

Thor looks at him in disgust. "That you would _think_ -"

"Please," spits Loki, chains rattling, "I think many things. Most of them are truths." 

Thor narrows his eyes and is momentarily surprised when he sees that Loki believes his own words. For the God of Lies, Thor thinks, that's awfully twisted. A cruelty on Loki himself, really, to be the master of one thing but believe in the opposite. Thor is under no pretense though that Loki would not lie to him in a split second if it meant saving his own skin. Thor is not stupid; for a lie to be believable you have to offer up some truths. Thor has taken Loki's tit-bits of truth for too many years like that of the hands of a greedy child reaching for proffered sweets. All he is ever left with are the untruths. 

"What do you want from me?" asks Thor tiredly. "I have nothing for you now." 

Loki regards him silently. "Or perhaps, what is it you need from me?" 

"You think to play me with words?" Thor scoffs and looks away, staring at the bright rise of Asgard and all its glory before returning his gaze to Loki. Thor's terseness drops from his shoulder and he sighs. "Your punishment will not be made light." 

Loki shrugs. "You speak as if I don't know these things." 

"Sometimes I wonder," admits Thor quietly. He stares past Loki, fingers still curled around the chains, blinks once and drops his head. "I thought you had met death, Loki. Now here I am to walk you to what may be just that."

"So maudlin," comments Loki idly, but Thor has known him long enough to pick up the strict formation of the words, the slightly over-the-top idleness and casual disinterest. Words so carefully crafted that Thor can see right through them.

"Did you have a particular issue you wished to talk about when you behaved like a spoiled child mere moments ago?" asks Thor irritably, "or should I replace the gag?" 

Loki smiles nastily. "I do like when you get riled up." 

Thor doesn't answer, just pulls Loki forward roughly and moves to fit the gag roughly to his mouth. 

"I'm glad it's you."

Thor goes still, and he replays the words in his mind before pulling back to look into Loki's eyes, lowering the gag to his side. 

"I do not understand," says Thor slowly. 

Loki, for once, does not look condescending. He looks serious and old and tired, and Thor has not seen him like this for a long while. "This is how it works, is it not? How it was always meant to be? That when it came time to face my fate you would be there." Loki's eyes are bright and burning and Thor feels his throat constrict and his heart pound. "Has it not been this way every time?" Loki blinks at Thor slowly, openly. "For what is Loki without Thor?" he asks softly, and the honesty hurts Thor more than any dagger. 

"No," says Thor, dropping the gag to the ground and shaking his head. "Father would not -"

"He would," Loki insists softly, "we both know the more likely outcome, Thor." 

"Your actions do not warrant your death -"

"Don't they?" snaps Loki, angry now, fists balled up, " _don't_ they, Thor? How many others have we seen die for lesser crimes than my own?" Loki smiles, but it is a sad and broken smile, and it does not reach his eyes. 

"I would stand for you," admits Thor quietly. 

"I know you would," replies Loki. "It matters not. The Allfather and the Council will make a decision and it will be unchangeable; you and I both know that." Loki looks out at the city and the dying sun, and Thor turns to watch along with him. They stand silently for a moment, and Thor is filled with the first clenching fears of _'what if?'_ Rooted in his own thoughts and nurtured by Loki's words, Thor wonders if Asgard would really see fit to have Loki executed. His crimes are numerous, treacherous and unforgivable... and Thor wonders if even after all that, he'd be the one to forgive Loki first. 

"Better move on," says Loki with a note of finality, "wouldn't want to keep them waiting." 

Thor starts forward slowly, every step heavier than the last, with Loki silent beside him. The rest of the walk is quiet, no words spoken between them, the only sound the rattling of Loki's chains when his hands move. The gag lies forgotten on the path behind them. When they're before the great doors of the court, the guards ready to announce them, Loki exhales slowly. 

"Never fear, brother," he murmurs softly, lips barely moving, "don't think me out of tricks just yet." 

Then the doors are pulled open, the eyes of the Allfather upon them and Thor can not reply. He does, however, allow his lips to pull up into a small, rueful little smile none the less.


End file.
